


You Make Me Better

by squidney24



Series: (you know) I'm always coming back to this place [1]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: F/F, Introspection, No dialogue so if you need that oops, This is just Charlotte introspection on falling in love with her girls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 16:33:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16622462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squidney24/pseuds/squidney24
Summary: A look into Charlotte's mind.Or, how and when Charlotte fell in love with each of her girls. And what they each taught her.





	You Make Me Better

**Author's Note:**

> Shameless plug: My Tumblr is bisexualshrug.
> 
> Please let me know if there are any grammatical errors. I'm dumb but have a lot of emotions.
> 
> If anyone is interested, I may or may not do one for each of the girls. I already have ideas and what I want to do with Sasha, Bayley, and Becky.

Of what will become The Four HorseWomen, Charlotte met Sasha first.

They don’t get along. Charlotte realizes later that is because they are too similar in all the wrong ways. Both have been hurt in the past, and both closed themselves off to prevent it from happening again. They may have closed themselves off to the world in different ways, but the results were effectively the same. Sasha lashed out at everyone who attempted to get close to her to push them away before she could care. Charlotte hides behind the legacy of her father, not as a shortcut or due to a sense of arrogance, but to create this intimidating aura around her that made others scared to approach her.

Charlotte doesn’t like to admit it, but Sasha was always the one who intimidated Charlotte. Charlotte was born into this. Her father was Ric Flair, arguably the greatest wrestler to ever step foot into a WWE ring. He was a legend and had been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice. Charlotte had every advantage in her journey to NXT. Hell, she was trained solely at the WWE Performance Center. While most other wrestlers spent years paying their dues on the independent scene in the hopes that WWE would notice them one day, Charlotte was immediately pushed to the front. Charlotte works hard every day to prove that she isn’t the sole product of nepotism. But, sometimes, Charlotte can’t help but doubt herself.

Especially, when she looks at girls like Sasha Banks. Sasha, who had dreamed of becoming a WWE Superstar since she was a child. Sasha, who, unlike Charlotte, had every disadvantage in the world stacked against her. Sasha, who ignored all of them and fought anyways— fought every day for her dream and never once considered giving up. Sasha, who spent years on the independent scene, sometimes only being paid in meals for her matches. Sasha, who made it here anyway. And, not due to any sort of nepotism, because she had none. Sasha was just that damn good.

Charlotte would never have admitted it, but Sasha, at the time, brought out every single one of Charlotte’s insecurities and fears. Sasha was everything Charlotte was not, could never be. So, Charlotte couldn’t imagine ever loving Sasha. How could she love everything she hated about herself? How could she love someone who was the manifestation of every bad thought Charlotte ever had about herself? At the beginning of her tenure in NXT, Charlotte felt sick every time she looked at Sasha.

Charlotte and Sasha didn’t get along. Charlotte’s faux arrogance only caused Sasha to lash out and resent her. Sasha’s harsh demeanor only convinced Charlotte that any friendship with Sasha would end in another betrayal. So, they stayed away from each other. 

Charlotte didn’t love Sasha first. Sasha and Charlotte weren’t in a place where they could even like each other, much less fall in love. They couldn’t fit yet. So, they didn’t fall in love first. And, Charlotte definitely didn’t think she would ever love Sasha in the future. Charlotte is wrong a lot.

 

x

 

Charlotte met Bayley next, and Charlotte could best describe her initial impression of Bayley as blinding. Honestly, Charlotte isn’t fully convinced that in her spare time Bayley doesn’t fill in for the Sun when it grows weary of shining every day. Bayley is bright, and she softened Charlotte in a way that no one else ever did. They are instant friends. Charlotte didn’t really have a choice. Bayley seemed to latch onto her instantly and refused to break her hold. Charlotte didn’t mind.

Bayley brought light into Charlotte’s life. All of the dark corners of Charlotte’s mind evaporated any time Bayley was in her presence. There isn’t a dark bone in Bayley’s body, and Bayley is so good that she washes away the darkness of anyone around her. Charlotte had never met someone who was so genuine and kind. Bayley saw the best in everyone around her. And, not because she tried to or wanted to, Bayley just believed that hard in goodness. Charlotte still stands and stares in wonderment at Bayley’s heart.

Bayley was Charlotte’s best friend. They did everything together— trained together, rehearsed matches and new moves together, spent nights out on the town together, and would end up in each other’s apartments more than they would go home separately. Charlotte had never had anyone care about her with the ferocity that Bayley did. Bayley believed in her. And, not because she was Charlotte Flair. Bayley never saw Charlotte Flair. Bayley only ever saw Charlotte, and Bayley believed in Charlotte, reassuring her of that every day. Charlotte was constantly showered with praises, reassurances, and affection, without ever even asking. Bayley was so good at reassuring Charlotte of her talent and worth that sometimes she didn’t have to say anything at all.

Bayley would just look at Charlotte with this specific emotion in her eyes. An emotion that said she was truly in awe of Charlotte. That look would send chills down Charlotte’s spine. To have someone love her, believe in her, with that kind of intensity. Well, Charlotte had never even dreamed of that.

But, Charlotte didn’t love Bayley first either. 

Don’t get her wrong, Charlotte loved Bayley. Bayley was her best friend. Bayley was the greatest person Charlotte had met in her entire life. But, Charlotte didn’t fall in love with Bayley first. Not because Charlotte couldn’t see the appeal of loving Bayley, because Charlotte doubted there could be a better girlfriend in the world. Bayley would be sweet, kind, affectionate, giving, and attentive. But, despite all of those things, Charlotte wasn’t in love with Bayley. The truth was that had nothing to do with Bayley at all. It had everything to do with Charlotte. 

It wasn’t a conscious effort on Charlotte’s part to not fall in love with Bayley. She can genuinely say she was never in denial. And, Charlotte thinks, if she had been in denial, then she would be able to admit it now. Now, when she has all three of her girls by her side every day. When she is deeply in love with Bayley and would never give her up for anything in the world. But, at the time, Charlotte genuinely did not have those feelings. And, once again, that was due to Charlotte’s own insecurities.

Charlotte’s insecurities were ingrained so deeply in her brain that they were unconscious feelings. They just became an instinct, and they manifested in her life that way. Charlotte didn’t love Bayley due to anything Bayley was lacking or something that she wasn’t doing correctly. Charlotte wasn’t in love with Bayley, because Charlotte hated herself. Despite all of Bayley compliments, praises, and affection, Charlotte still hated herself. And, Bayley was so damn good. Bayley was pure and bright and whole, and Charlotte could never deserve her. And, Charlotte believed that so deeply that a relationship with Bayley never even crossed her mind at that time. 

How could it have? Bayley was so far above Charlotte in every way. She was so high above her that Charlotte couldn’t even reach her with a ladder. So, a relationship with Bayley never crossed Charlotte’s mind.

Charlotte didn’t fall in love with Bayley first.

 

x

 

Charlotte met Becky last.

Charlotte can say she has never been surprised much in her life. With a father like Ric Flair, Charlotte quickly became accustomed to even the strangest of situations. The most abnormal circumstances and environments were simply Charlotte’s life. The unpredictability of life was just another universal truth. It wasn’t shocking or surprising or unexpected. It simply just was.

Despite all of that, Becky surprised Charlotte. 

Becky fit into all of Charlotte’s jagged edges and broken corners effortlessly. She wormed her way into Charlotte’s heart before Charlotte even had time to notice. Around Sasha, Charlotte felt consumed, swallowed up. There was an intensity between Charlotte and Sasha that always set Charlotte on edge. Sasha startled Charlotte awake and made her uncomfortable in her own skin. Bayley was her first friend. Bayley made Charlotte feel loved and supported. Bayley was so good though. Charlotte could never match that goodness. But, when Charlotte was with Becky, Charlotte could just be. For the first time in her life, Charlotte wasn’t thinking. She just existed with Becky. Becky allowed that. Becky gave that to her. 

Charlotte and Becky could just sit for hours together without speaking. With anyone else, that would terrify Charlotte. She would feel insecure and worried and stressed by the silence. She would feel obligated to fill it and would be worried what the other person was thinking about her if Charlotte wasn’t keeping a conversation flowing. Charlotte had to keep them occupied and distracted, so they wouldn’t have time to see everything Charlotte saw in herself. But, with Becky, all those feelings disappeared. Becky and Charlotte could just exist together in a way that Charlotte has never had with anyone else in her life. And, that filled Charlotte with a new sense of security.

She didn’t have to distract Becky from anything. Becky was the most perceptive person Charlotte had ever met. Becky saw Charlotte, and she didn’t run from what she could see. Gradually, Charlotte allowed Becky to see all of her broken parts. All of her insecurities, all of her doubts, all of her failures. And, Becky didn’t reassure her of anything. Becky didn’t tell her she was better or worthy or perfect. Becky just accepted her. Becky accepted all of the bad and appreciated all of the good. 

Charlotte had never had that before, or never felt like she had that. Until Becky. Charlotte was inspired by it. Over time, Charlotte started to feel more secure in herself. More comfortable in her own shoes. Every day, Charlotte seemed to hate herself a little less. And, Becky gave that to her.

How could Charlotte not fall in love with Becky? After everything Becky gave her without Becky even trying, falling in love with Becky was inevitable. It was instinctual. It wasn’t something that Charlotte could stop or slow down. Charlotte just woke up one day, and she was in love with Becky. Charlotte had never been surer of anything in her life.

Charlotte met Becky last, but she fell in love with Becky first. 

 

x

 

Thanks to Becky, Charlotte was able to value herself more. Charlotte had always seen herself as unworthy of everything life had given her, believing she was handed it because of her father. Becky enabled her to think for the first time that maybe that wasn’t true. Charlotte’s confidence ascended, climbed higher every day. And, eventually, it climbed even when Becky wasn’t by her side. 

It climbed and climbed and climbed, and one day, Charlotte was at heights she had never reached before. A place she had never been. And, Charlotte looked around. 

Charlotte looked. 

Charlotte looked, and she saw Bayley. She saw Bayley beside her. Suddenly, Bayley wasn’t far out of her reach. Charlotte could extend her fingertips and grab Bayley’s hand. She was in reach. When Charlotte noticed that, it was like a switch went off in her mind. Everything that she had never seen before, suddenly became obvious in the blink of an eye. A light went on in front of Charlotte, and Bayley was illuminated.

Charlotte can remember the exact moment she fell in love with Bayley. Charlotte had won the NXT Women’s Championship for the first time. Becky couldn’t be there that night, because she was lying sick at home. But, Charlotte wasn’t alone. Charlotte came through the curtain, staring in awe at her title. Overwhelmed and stirred up in so many emotions that she could not even begin to describe. She was staring at her belt, and suddenly the breath was knocked out of her as a body collided with hers. Immediately, Bayley was in her arms and singing her praises, just like she had always done.

Really, nothing made that moment different than any other time she had won a match (other than the belt). Bayley was reacting exactly the same, maybe a tad more enthusiastic, but it wasn’t that different. However, this time, Charlotte didn’t feel like she needed the compliments. She liked them, loved them actually, but she didn’t need them to feel good about herself. She wasn’t dependent on them. Charlotte knew she won the belt because of her talent. Her dedication. Her hard work. Charlotte believed everything Bayley was saying for the first time, and it was so freeing. 

Charlotte ascended. 

When Bayley pulled away from the embrace, she grabbed Charlotte by the cheeks and continued her endless parade of compliments. Charlotte noticed that Bayley had that look in her eyes again. Charlotte had a beaming smile on her face and just looked at Bayley. At that moment, everything froze for a split second. In that second, all at once, Charlotte was in love with Bayley.

After this realization, everything in Charlotte’s life seemed to slot into place. In all the ways that Becky made her whole, Bayley made her better. Charlotte was better because of Bayley. For Bayley. Bayley taught Charlotte how to truly be good. Becky had filled all of Charlotte’s empty spaces. Bayley gave those spaces meaning. She gave them significance. Charlotte was whole because of Becky, but light because of Bayley. Becky helped her ascend, but Bayley made her float. Suddenly, Charlotte’s feet were off the ground. A lightness, a happiness, a comfort that Charlotte had never felt before filled her up. She looked at Bayley, and her eyes lit up.

Charlotte met Bayley second, and she fell in love with Bayley second too.

 

x

 

With Becky and Bayley by her side, Charlotte felt like she had more than she could have ever dreamed. She felt complete in all the ways she had felt broken and alone all of her life. They were her girls. Charlotte had never really had anything that was truly her own in her life. All the money and fame and gifts, they were all her fathers. All her friends were there because of her father and their lifestyle. They weren’t Charlotte’s.

Becky and Bayley were hers. They were for Charlotte. Charlotte didn’t necessarily believe in soulmates, and she had definitely never heard anyone claim to have more than one. But, Charlotte knew somewhere deep in her heart that, if soulmates existed, then Becky and Bayley were hers. And, she was theirs in return. Always theirs. Charlotte had been theirs before she even knew it.

Charlotte had been given confidence by Becky. Bayley had given her a light of her own. In her mind, Charlotte thought she was complete. Bayley and Becky were everything to her, and they were all she would ever need. They were a trio. A package deal. Everything they did, they did together. 

Then, Becky started to bring Sasha around. Suddenly, her trio was a quartet. There was her, her two girls, and…Sasha. Becky spoke of Sasha with a tone of reverence, like she worshipped the ground Sasha walked on. Like Sasha was some sort of superhero. An ethereal being. Charlotte turned around one day, and Sasha was everywhere. Becky was always bringing her along.

Soon, Charlotte could tell that Bayley began to latch on to Sasha as well. The same reverent tone that Charlotte could hear when Becky talked about Sasha began to appear in Bayley’s voice when she talked about Sasha too. Sasha was around almost all of the time, but, whenever she wasn’t, Bayley and Becky were singing her praises. It never stopped.

Frankly, it was annoying. Charlotte still didn’t want anything to do with Sasha. Charlotte had changed. She wasn’t closed off anymore, but Sasha still was. Charlotte and Sasha didn’t get along, but Charlotte could read her extremely well. They were so similar that reading Sasha was like glancing at the back of her hand. It was easy. Sasha hadn’t changed. Becky may have spoken about Sasha reverently, but Sasha seemed ambivalent. Charlotte could tell that Sasha liked Becky, but she still had her guards up. Charlotte resented that. 

Becky is amazing. How could she not give to Sasha everything Becky had given to Charlotte? Sasha was just incapable of change.

However, that didn’t stop Becky from bringing Sasha around. And, within a few weeks, it didn’t stop Bayley from getting attached. And, when Bayley was attached, when someone new and fascinating appeared in Bayley’s life, Bayley could not be shaken off. Bayley became extremely affectionate with Sasha quickly. Not in any kind of abnormal or unique way. Bayley just did this with everyone in her life. Like she did with Charlotte, Bayley began to bury Sasha in compliments, praise, and affection.

At first, Charlotte could tell Sasha wanted to get the hell out of the room any time Bayley started up. All four would be hanging out backstage, and Bayley would leap from Charlotte’s lap to Sasha’s, and Sasha’s entire body would tense. Sasha would come backstage from a match to be swept up in a hug from Bayley and showered in praises, but Sasha would find an excuse to quickly depart. But, Charlotte noticed something strange. Despite all of Bayley’s actions clearly making Sasha uncomfortable, she never lashed out at Bayley. She never told Bayley to get off her lap, to stop hugging her after matches, or to slow the compliments down a little.

Sasha would just simply let Bayley do things that she would never let anyone else do. The more affection Bayley showed the more Sasha seemed to relax. Eventually, she didn’t just relax around Bayley, but she started to relax around Becky too. Sasha started to change.

It was slow. Sasha relaxed around Bayley. Then, over time, all of the tension and ambivalence Sasha projected around Becky melted away as well. Sasha became more comfortable. Charlotte could even see that Sasha was beginning to let her guard down. Charlotte would watch Sasha around her girls and notice everything that happened to Charlotte was happening to Sasha as well. She was softening. As this became increasingly apparent to Charlotte, all of the annoyance Charlotte felt towards Sasha began to evaporate. With the annoyance gone, Charlotte was able to recognize that all of those insecurities and fears Charlotte would feel in her chest any time Sasha was around were not there anymore.

Becky and Bayley had taught her to feel secure in herself and see more in others. All of that negativity Charlotte felt towards Sasha had disappeared. However, something still perplexed Charlotte. The negativity toward Sasha may have disappeared, but the intensity that had always been there hadn’t disappeared. When Sasha was in the room, it was like Charlotte was on fire. But, Charlotte didn’t feel like she was being burned alive by the flames anymore. She just felt hot. Charlotte wasn’t burning. No, she just felt alive.

Sasha sparked a passion in Charlotte, a drive. More than anyone else, Sasha had an intrinsic desire to be the best. Being around that intensity, it made Charlotte feel the same. Sasha lit Charlotte up. Sasha was the kindling, and Charlotte was the flames. Sasha and Charlotte started to train together. Work together. Practice matches together. And, it was intense. The workouts and matches were fulfilling and inspiring like they never were before Sasha. Charlotte trained harder. Worked harder. Pushed herself further. All because Sasha pulled that out of Charlotte. 

Sasha made everything more intense for Charlotte. Charlotte didn’t only train harder around Sasha, she loved harder too. Sasha sparked a passion in Charlotte’s life that soon bled out into every aspect of her being. Charlotte loved wrestling more than she ever had. Charlotte loved Becky and Bayley more intensely, which she never thought was possible.

And, after a long time, Charlotte loved Sasha too. From the beginning, Becky talked about Sasha reverently. Soon after, Bayley started up the same thing. Finally, Charlotte noticed that exact tone creeping into her voice when she spoke of Sasha. 

Charlotte thought the only girls she would ever need by her side were Becky and Bayley. But, Charlotte is wrong about a lot in life. Charlotte may not have realized, but she had always needed Sasha too. 

Charlotte met Sasha first, but she fell in love with Sasha last. Regardless of time and place though, Charlotte was in love with Sasha Banks too.

 

x

 

First, there was Becky. Charlotte met Becky, and she ascended. Becky gave her confidence and security. Becky slid seamlessly past all of Charlotte’s walls and took them down from the inside. Becky was a heart invader, and Charlotte didn’t even stand a chance. Becky helped Charlotte feel comfortable in her own skin and assured of herself. She broke down all of Charlotte’s walls and used the bricks to patch all the broken parts of Charlotte’s heart. Becky was the first of her girls. Charlotte couldn’t imagine it any other way. Becky was always destined to be first. Charlotte loves her.

Then, there was Bayley. Bayley was different from Becky. Charlotte loves them both equally, but Bayley never made Charlotte ascend in the way Becky did. But, Bayley made Charlotte float. She swept Charlotte’s feet off the ground and gave her a new perspective on life. Charlotte felt like she was blind before she fell in love with Bayley. Everything around her is so much brighter because of Bayley. Bayley is sweet, caring, selfless, affectionate, and loving. But, above all, Bayley is good. Bayley makes Charlotte want to be that good. Charlotte couldn’t be more in love with Bayley if she tried.

Finally, there was Sasha. Nobody in the world can frustrate Charlotte more than Sasha Banks. At one time, Sasha brought out every bad part Charlotte had ever had inside her. Charlotte couldn’t have dreamed of a world where she was in love with Sasha Banks. Until Becky and Bayley dragged all of those bad parts out and made them disappear. Now, the only thing left was Charlotte. That changed everything. She looked at Sasha now, and she wasn’t burning alive. She was just alive. Becky made her ascend. Bayley made her float. But, Sasha made her soar. 

When Charlotte first came to NXT, she couldn’t imagine herself opening up to any person. She was determined to remain closed off. Nothing could get far enough within her walls to hurt her. Charlotte wouldn’t allow herself to be loved, and she wouldn’t love anyone in return. Charlotte has never been more grateful in her life to be wrong. 

To the world, her girls are part of the Four Horsewomen. 

To Charlotte, Bayley, Becky, and Sasha are her world.


End file.
